Tag: UFC 263

UFC free fight: Brandon Moreno submits Deiveson Figueiredo to claim flyweight title

Ahead of their title unification bout at UFC 283, relive Brandon Moreno’s finish of Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 263.

[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] left no doubt when he rematched [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] at UFC 263.

The pair battled to a majority draw at UFC 256, resulting in Figueiredo retaining his flyweight title. As a result, a rematch was booked at UFC 263. But in the second fight, Moreno did not leave it in the hands of the judges.

Moreno was the busier striker to start, mixing things up with leg kicks and shots to the body. Figueiredo appeared tentative and was caught and dropped by a left hand in Round 1.

Figueiredo started a lot more aggressively in Round 2, landing an early takedown. After some top control, Figueiredo’s guillotine attempt was reversed by Moreno, who latched onto his back and dragged him down to the mat. But Figueiredo managed turn out of it and remained on his back for the rest of the round.

Moreno’s success on the ground would translate into Round 3, where he took Figueiredo down and got his back with both hooks in. This time, he was able to cinch in the rear-naked choke and submit Figueiredo, becoming the first UFC champion born in Mexico.

Figueiredo got the belt back when they competed in a trilogy bout at UFC 270. Figueiredo scored multiple knockdowns to earn a decision win. With Figueiredo sidelined, Moreno faced Kai Kara-France for the interim flyweight title at UFC 277 and finished him by TKO to set up a highly anticipated fourth fight with Figueiredo.

Moreno (20-6-2 MMA, 8-3-2 UFC) returns Jan. 21 for a title unification bout with Figueiredo (21-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) in the UFC 283 co-main event at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC and ESPN+.

Before they face off for a fourth time, relive Moreno’s finish of Figueiredo in the video above.

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Tai Tuivasa has simple plan at UFC 263: Land the hardest punch, drink beer out of a ‘ball guard’

As far as Tai Tuivasa is concerned, there’s no reason to overcomplicate what’s going to happen when he steps in the cage with Derrick Lewis

HOUSTON – As far as [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) is concerned, there’s really no reason to overcomplicate what’s going to happen when he steps in the cage with Derrick Lewis (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC).

The two sluggers meet in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 271 event at the Toyota Center, and “Bam Bam” believes breaking down how it’s likely to play out is about as simple as it comes.

“I’m definitely not going to go out there and wrestle him,” Tuivasa said with a laugh at Wednesday’s media day event. “It would have been my smarter side there, but, you know, I’m a banger as well, and I think that’s going to be the fight. It’s going to be, you know, the smartest fighter wins, and then the person who lands the hardest punch wins.”

While fighters will sometimes bluff a bit ahead of fights as a means of maskign their true gameplan, Tuivasa and Lewis really don’t need to take such an approach. Tuivasa has scored 13 of his 14 career wins via knockout, while Lewis boasts 21 of his 26 career victories in the same manner.

Tuivasa knows the two styles seem destined to deliver excitement, and he says that intrigues him just as much as it does fight fans.

“It’s a very exciting fight for me,” Tuivasa said. “It’s either I’m going to get my head taken off or I’m going to take his head off, so that’s why I fight. That’s what excites me, and I’m looking forward to putting a show on.”

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While Tuivasa has clearly established himself as a fan favorite, he also knows he’ll have to play the enemy on Saturday night, at least for a little bit. Houston is Lewis’ hometown, of course, and the crowd will certainly favor “The Black Beast.”

“I don’t really care,” Tuivasa said. “Once the cage door closes, no one can help you anyway, you know what I mean? I’m going to expect a few boos. Obviously, I’m coming to his hometown, but that’s expected.”

Should Tuivasa end up being the one doing the head removing, he knows the boos won’t last too long. After all, his post-fight routine of chugging beer from a shoe tends to get a rise from a packed arena, so Tuivasa believes the fan support will shift quickly.

And if a fallen Lewis wants to add to the moment as he did following his last win by removing his protective cup, well, don’t expect Tuivasa to back down from a challenge.

“He can throw it to me when I win and I’ll do a cupey out of his ball guard, then,” Tuivasa said. “I’m keen.”

To see the full interview with Tuivasa, check out the video above.

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How Brandon Moreno and Nate Diaz became unlikeliest of friends and partners since UFC 263

Who saw this coming?

LOS ANGELES – UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] and [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] have struck up perhaps the unlikeliest of friendships.

Moreno (19-5-2 MMA, 7-2-2 UFC) and Diaz (20-13 MMA, 15-11 UFC) shared the same card at UFC 263 and sat next to each other on the dais at the pre-fight news conference where Diaz offered Moreno a puff of the joint he lit up on stage. They got to know each other after that, and Moreno wound up signing a deal with Diaz’s Represent Ltd clothing brand.

Moreno, who captured the 125-pound title with an upset finish of Deiveson Figueiredo, said the deal started when Diaz’s team sent him a package.

“It’s crazy because I met him in the press conference pre-fight,” Moreno said Tuesday at a UFC media lunch. “And backstage I went with him because he sent me a package of clothes with some friend, and I went with him and said, ‘Man, thank you so much for the clothes. It’s amazing.’ And the guy started talking to me, very nice guy. He has this personality where you hate him or you love him, but the guy was amazing with me. It was funny because the media started to have some fun, because he tried to give me the weed. I don’t smoke, but I respect him. I met him there in person, and he’s an amazing guy.”

He continued, “After the fights, not him in person, but some of his team invited me to the after party with him. But after the fights I was driving to Tijuana (to go on vacation).”

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Moreno’s happy-go-lucky attitude isn’t exactly a perfect match with Diaz’s chill, no-nonsense approach, but that’s exactly why “The Assassin Baby” has so much admiration for Diaz.

“That’s why I respect him,” Moreno said. “Maybe he looks like a rude guy like, ‘Oh, I’m a gangster,’ but then the guy comes to me with the best attitude and talked with me very friendly. I respect that, you know? He’s amazing.”

Unlike Moreno, Diaz didn’t prevail at UFC 263, but he came close after almost finishing Leon Edwards in the fifth round of their welterweight fight after he’d been mostly dominated and down on the scorecards through four rounds.

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Charles Oliveira confident he would knock both Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier out

After capturing the title with a knockout victory, Charles Oliveira has no doubt he can stand with any lightweight.

After capturing the UFC lightweight title with a knockout victory, [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] has no doubt he can stand with anyone in the division.

Oliveira (31-8 MMA, 19-8 UFC) may be known as a jiu-jitsu ace, but the UFC’s all-time leader in submission wins has knocked out three of his past five opponents, including Michael Chandler to claim the vacant lightweight title at UFC 262.

Currently vying for the No. 1 contender spot are prolific strikers [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC) and [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC), who will compete in a trilogy bout that headlines UFC 264 on July 10.

But whoever comes out victorious, Oliveira is confident that he can knock him out, too.

“I never choose opponents,” Oliveira said. “I am always ready to fight. They are two big names in the sport, the lightweights. Everyone knows that a fight with Conor has a lot of money and one with Dustin not so much, but they are two great opponents. I don’t choose my fights. I will be ready. I really believe in my jiu-jitsu against either of them, but something tells me that if I fought them, I would knock them both out. I’m feeling fine.” (H/T UOL Esporte, translation via BJPenn.com).

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If there was ever a knock on Oliveira’s game in the past, it was his ability to handle pressure. In his losses to the likes of Paul Felder, Ricardo Lamas and Anthony Pettis, Oliveira was in control until his opponents were able to break him and turn things around by stopping him.

But training under the tutelage of Diego Lima at the famed Chute Boxe Academy, Oliveira’s striking has improved leaps and bounds and he thinks his multifaceted skill set makes him even more dangerous on the feet.

“A few years ago, Charles was the jiu-jitsu guy who walked forward, took a beating and was a little afraid,” Oliveira said. “Today, I’m not afraid to fight these guys. The funny thing is that when I start fighting, they try to put me down – to do what I know best. This shows how much I’m evolving on my feet. It will definitely be a great fight. Charles, today, is not a jiu-jitsu fighter. He’s a complete fighter, both standing and on the ground. But I think everyone will be knocked out.”

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UFC 263 salaries: Israel Adesanya, Marvin Vettori lead payouts; Nate Diaz pockets $250,000

Six fighters took home six figures as a result of UFC 263 performances.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] served as the UFC 263 poster boy atop the card and was compensated as such.

UFC 263 took place June 12 at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. The main card streamed on ESPN pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

MMA Junkie acquired the disclosed fighter salaries from the Arizona Department of Gaming, which oversaw the event, though win bonuses and discretionary bonuses were redacted from the public information request.

Adesanya led all contracted paydays, pocketing $500,000 of show money. His opponent, [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag], was the second-highest paid, and he took home $350,000.

Trailing the headliners in the payouts was [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag], who took home a disclosed purse of $250,000.

UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno earned $100,000 of show money, though his win bonus is unknown. Former champion Deiveson Figueiredo took home $210,000 contracted pay.

Also clearing the six-figure show-money mark was [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag], who made $110,000 of show money. Former UFC title challenger [autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] earned $175,000.

Total disclosed pay for the show was $2,565,000.

Check out the list of UFC 263 athletes’ contracted paydays below:

  • Israel Adesanya ($500,000) def. Marvin Vettori ($350,000)
  • Brandon Moreno ($100,000) def. Deiveison Figueirdo ($210,000)
  • Leon Edwards ($110,000) def. Nate Diaz ($250,000)
  • Belal Muhammad ($80,000) def. Demian Maia ($175,000)
  • Paul Craig ($55,000) def. Jamahal Hill ($28,000)
  • Brad Riddell ($40,000) def. Drew Dober ($87,000)
  • Eryk Anders ($75,000) def. Darren Stewart ($45,000)
  • Lauren Murphy ($70,000) def. Joanne Calderwood ($51,000)
  • Movsar Evloev ($36,000) def. Hakeem Dawodu ($55,000)
  • Pannie Kianzad ($28,000) def. Alexis Davis ($43,000)
  • Terrance McKinney ($12,000) def. Matt Frevola ($23,000)
  • Steven Peterson ($23,000) def. Chase Hooper ($37,000)
  • Fares Ziam ($14,000) def. Luigi Vendramini ($15,000)
  • Carlos Felipe ($25,000) def. Jake Collier ($28,000)

The figures above do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC 263 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC sometimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.

For example, UFC officials also handed out a “Fight of the Night” bonus to Riddell and Dober – and two $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses to Moreno and Craig.

In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

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UFC 263 ‘Fight Motion’: Watch Israel Adesanya’s title win in super slow-motion

Check out the super slow-motion highlights from UFC 263, including clips of Israel Adesanya’s dominant win over Marvin Vettori.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] made sure his rematch with [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] was a lot more definitive than their first outing.

Middleweight champion Adesanya (21-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) scored a lopsided unanimous decision win over Vettori (17-4-1 MMA, 7-3-1 UFC) in the UFC 263 main event when he fendied off many of Vettori’s takedowns and outstruck him for all five rounds.

In the co-main event, [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (19-5-2 MMA, 8-2-2 UFC) became the first Mexico-born UFC champion when he submitted Deiveson Figueiredo (20-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) in the third round to claim the flyweight title.

You can watch it all unfold in super slow-motion in the UFC 263 “Fight Motion” video highlights above.

Also featured are highlights of [autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag]’s seven-second knockout of Matt Frevola, [autotag]Brad Riddell[/autotag] and [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag]’s “Fight of the Night” battle, [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag]’s arm-snapping finish of Jamahal Hill, [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]’ big win over [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag], and much more.

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UFC 263 ‘Fight Motion’: Watch Israel Adesanya’s title win in super slow-motion

Check out the super slow-motion highlights from UFC 263, including clips of Israel Adesanya’s dominant win over Marvin Vettori.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] made sure his rematch with [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] was a lot more definitive than their first outing.

Middleweight champion Adesanya (21-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) scored a lopsided unanimous decision win over Vettori (17-4-1 MMA, 7-3-1 UFC) in the UFC 263 main event when he fendied off many of Vettori’s takedowns and outstruck him for all five rounds.

In the co-main event, [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (19-5-2 MMA, 8-2-2 UFC) became the first Mexico-born UFC champion when he submitted Deiveson Figueiredo (20-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) in the third round to claim the flyweight title.

You can watch it all unfold in super slow-motion in the UFC 263 “Fight Motion” video highlights above.

Also featured are highlights of [autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag]’s seven-second knockout of Matt Frevola, [autotag]Brad Riddell[/autotag] and [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag]’s “Fight of the Night” battle, [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag]’s arm-snapping finish of Jamahal Hill, [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]’ big win over [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag], and much more.

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Jorge Masvidal targets fall UFC return, says Leon Edwards ‘not a fighter’

Jorge Masvidal knows when he wants to get back in the octagon, he’s just not sure who the opponent will be.

[autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] knows when he wants to get back in the octagon, he’s just not sure who the opponent will be.

Less than two months removed from falling short of the welterweight title in his rematch with Kamaru Usman at UFC 261, Masvidal (35-15 MMA, 12-8 UFC) is ready to turn the page and get back to work. He expects to fight before the end of the year, but isn’t quite sure who will be on the other side of the cage.

During a media scrum ahead of promoting his own Gamebred Fighting Championship bare knuckle MMA card, which is set to take place Friday in Biloxi, Miss., Masvidal was asked about [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag], Nate Diaz and Nick Diaz as potential matchups.

“All of the above,” Masvidal told reporters, including TheMacLife. “Whoever is available in October, November when I’m coming back, that’s whose head is coming off.”

Masvidal indicated he would like a highly ranked opponent in the 170-pound division, and among the names mentioned, Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) is the only fighter who fits the bill. “Rocky” is coming off a unanimous decision win over Nate Diaz at UFC 263 this past weekend, extending his unbeaten streak to 10 fights.

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Although Edwards has been pushing for a title shot, UFC president Dana White has said repeatedly that he’s not next in line for champion Kamaru Usman, and it’ll be Colby Covington on deck for the belt. That generated discussion about whether Edwards and Masvidal should settle their score in the meantime.

Edwards and Masvidal clashed backstage at a UFC event in London in March 2019. After both won their fights, they got into a physical altercation that saw Masvidal punch Edwards multiple times in the well-documented “three piece and.a soda” incident.

A bout between them has seemed inevitable since, but Masvidal doesn’t appear thrilled about it. He gave Edwards respect as a talented competitor, but thinks his win over Diaz showed a lack of killer instinct, and that’s not the type of fighter Masvidal enjoys. Still, though, he left the door open as a possibility if the timing aligns.

“It was a good performance by (Edwards and Diaz),” Masvidal said. “Leon did what he does. He keeps asking for more money and more things, but he’s not a finisher, he’s not a fighter. He was winning happily and he wasn’t willing to put himself at risk to go out there and get those finishes, that’s why I don’t think he’s in the position he wants to be. He’s not going out there and fighting every second of every minute. He’s a very skilled guy, but he just doesn’t have that grit in him, that meanness to go out there and beat a top contender the way he should.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiyoSDyq3MQ

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Video: Can Leon Edwards afford to wait for Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington winner?

Leon Edwards finds himself once again at a curious career decision point after beating Nate Diaz at UFC 263.

[autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] finds himself once again at a curious career decision point after beating Nate Diaz at UFC 263.

Edwards (19-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC), the British UFC welterweight contender, is unbeaten over his past 10 fights. That includes a performance that – sans a final-minute scare – saw him dominate one of the most popular fighters in UFC history.

Somehow, though, it still doesn’t seem he’s guaranteed for the next title shot. In fact, UFC president Dana White said as much at the UFC 263 post-fight press conference, confirming once again that a rematch between Colby Covington and 170-pound champ Kamaru Usman is on deck.

So where does that leave Edwards? Does he sit out and wait in hopes no one jumps him in line for the Usman vs. Covington winner? Does he chase a grudge match with Jorge Masvidal?

All these options and more were discussed in the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” hosted by George Garcia with panelists Nolan King, Mike Bohn and Brian Garcia.

Watch the discussion on Edwards’ future above, or check out the full episode below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ6F5En_t3I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f6CvyEyXXs

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UFC 263 medical suspensions: Jamahal Hill, Terrance McKinney and Brandon Moreno face 180-day terms

Jamahal Hill, Terrance McKinney, and Brandon Moreno are potentially looking at six months on the sidelines after UFC 263.

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag], [autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag] and newly crowned flyweight champion [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] are potentially looking at six months on the sidelines after UFC 263.

Hill had his elbow dislocated when he suffered a first-round TKO loss to [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag] in the main card opener. Hill refused to tap to a deep armbar and Craig kept cranking on the submission, transitioning to a triangle choke until referee Al Guinee noticed that Hill’s arm was flopping about and stopped the fight.

On Wednesday, MMA Junkie acquired a full list of the UFC Fight Night 189 medical suspensions handed out by the Nevada Athletic Commission from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper.

Also joining Hill on the sidelines is newcomer McKinney, who scored the fastest knockout in UFC lightweight history when he finished Matt Frevola in just seven seconds. But an elated McKinney stuck his landing from the top of the octagon, injuring his knee in the process. He will require an MRI of his right knee before getting cleared.

Rounding off the 180-day suspension list is Moreno, who picked up a dominant third-round submission finish of [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] to win the flyweight title. Moreno needs his right foot checked before getting cleared by a doctor.

The full list of UFC 263 medical suspensions includes: